Extinguishing ash tray



mMy 27, 1965 E. s. BRlNK EXTINGUISHING ASH TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22, 1962 ATTORNEY July 27, 1965 E. s. BRINK 3,196,882

EXTINGUISHING ASH TRAY Filed March 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 2:57 4. an m 6 4 20 2 I" Illlll 22 /6 /fi INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,196,882 EXTINGUISHENG ASH TRAY Einar S. Brink, 934 Roscoe St., Chicago, lll. Filed Mar. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 131,729 3 Claims. (Cl. 131236) The present invention relates to ash trays for smokers use and more particularly to ash trays providing certain and positive means for immediately extinguishing any burning cigarette or cigar butt that may be put into it for that purpose.

More particularly the invention provides an ash tray having two separate tray portions, one of which comprises the customary receptacle for ashes deposited from the cigarette or cigar (hereinafter for brevity referred to simply as the cigarette) during the smoking thereof and serves also as a support on which the burning cigarette may be temporarily rested during smoking, and the other of which constitutes an extinguishing means for use, only at the end of the smoking period, to end the burning of the tobacco promptly and permanently so that the cigarette will not smoulder and all danger of setting the premises afire will be avoided.

The invention contemplates the use of a small quantity of water in the extinguishing means, the latter being so constructed and arranged that the water is normally not visible but is readily available when needed, after which the water will be returned automatically to its normal out of sight position.

The invention also contemplates so proportioning and arranging the two separate tray or receptacle portions that the unitary body which these portions constitute can, if desired, he stood on end and the space between the tray portions be used as a letter or card rack or holder, or a pair of the bodies can be similarly positioned and function as book ends also.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the new article of manufacture set up for use as an ash tray;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view with a portion broken away and another part shown in horizontal section;

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of two of the devices, one shown in elevation and the other in vertical transverse section, set up in position for book end and letter rack use.

In these figures, the reference numeral 1 designates generally a unitary body which is preferably cast or molded from any suitable non-combustible plastic composition which will be unaffected by water and such heat as may be generated by burning tobacco, matches and the like. Glass is a preferred material, but metal and some of the more fire-resistant modern plastics, particularly the thermosetting types, can be used.

The body comprises a lower tray portion 2 which serves as the base on which the article rests and an upper tray portion 3 which is spaced above the lower tray portion by a pair of standards 4 at opposite sides of the article. These standards are relatively narrow transversely, so that the width of the lower tray portion is not reduced in the rear, and they are relatively short in a longitudinal direction so that a considerable portion of the upper tray portion projects forwardly beyond the front edges of the standards. The lower tray portion, however, projects forwardly considerably beyond the front edge of the upper tray portion, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, so that the lower tray portion is easily accessible from the front.

Each of the tray portions is provided with an upstanding rim of flange of uniform height, so that each of the two portions constitutes a shallow receptacle. The two are substantially parallel in vertically spaced horizontal planes, as seen best in 'FIG. 4. The bottom or floor of the receptacle constituted by the upper tray portion may be flat, smooth and substantially uniplanar to facilitate cleaning since this tray portion serves as the normal receptacle for deposit of ashes during the smoking of the cigarette, and also, in cooperation with its surrounding rim of flange, as the surface on which the burning cigarette may be rested whenever the smoker wishes to lay it down.

The bottom or floor of the lower tray portion is differently configured. The rear portion is preferably depressed so as to form a shallow pocket or sump 5, and the front portion is upwardly and forwardly inclined to provide a rearwardly sloping drain portion 6, which may be provided with a series of shallow parallel lengthwise groove 7, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The underside of the bottom of the lower tray is not fiat and uniplanar but is surfaced by two plane poitions, a relatively short one at the rear designated 8 and a longer one at the front designated 9, which intersect in an angle that is almost a straight angle at a transverse line It which is behind, i.e., to the rear of, the transverse vertical plane which contains the center of gravity of the entire body; The effect, it Will be noted, is that of forwardly and rearwardly slightly beveled surfaces forming the underside of the bottom of the article, so that when the 1 device rests on a flat horizontal surface, e.g., a table,

as shown in FIG. 4, the rear portion 8 will be in flat contact with the supporting surface and the front portion 9 will be tilted up at a slight angle, as indicated in the full line position of FIG. 4.

In this position, a small quantity of water placed in the lower tray portion 2 will gravitate to thesump 5 at the rear, as shown at 11 in FIG. 4. However, as will also be evident from FIG. 4 if the device be tilted forwardly down, as by depressing its front end so that the body will assume the position shown in broken lines in the figure, the water 11 will flow forwardly by gravity to cover the front portion 9.

. In use as an ash tray the device is set on a table or equivalent horizontal fiat surface as shown in FIG. 4

' and a small quantity of water 11 is placed in the lower his cigarette and the deposit of ashes during smoking.

When the smoker is finished with the cigarette and the butt is to be discarded, it is extinguished by pushing it, burning end down, onto the front portion 6 of the lower tray portion. This action, which may be assisted by the weight of a portion of the hand on the front edge of the lower tray portion, depresses the front and tilts the whole device forwardly and down, into the broken line position of FIG. 4. The water in the sump rolls forward into the front portion "6 and immediately extinguishes the cigarette. Sufficient water rises promptly by capillary action into the tobacco of the cigarette to insure against smouldering or re-ignition. The butt is then dropped into the upper tray portion, and the resulting release of pressure on the front area 6 of the lower tray portion restores the device to the full line position of FIG. 4, with resultant return of the water back into the rear sump 5.

It will be apparent that some water will be absorbed into each cigarette butt that is thus extinguished, so that in time the supply of water in the sump becomes depleted. However, until the supply is completely exhausted, successive tilting movements will bring enough water forward to fill the grooves 7, so that cigarettes can readily be extinguished by pressing them into one of the grooves. In this way the capacity of a given small quantity of water to extinguish cigarettes is very materially increased over the number that could be handled by the device if the floor of the forward portion 6 of the lower tray portion were fiat and smooth.

An alternative and wholly different utility of the device is shown in FIG. 5. There two of the devices are shown, both standing on their rear ends and both oppositely positioned, with their upper tray portions facing each other and with a group of books 12 clamped between them. The pair thus serve as book ends. More'- over, as will be evident from the showing of the device at the left hand side of the figure, the space between the two tray portions, extending from the inner surface of one of the standards 4 to the inner surface of the other standard, forms a vertical slot 13, bottomed by the back wall 14 of the device, that serves as a holder or rack for cards, letters and the like 15. The device may be used singly for this purpose, as well as when disposed in pairs as book ends.

In order to stabilize the device when set up on end as a card and letter holder or as a book end, and also to provide a convenient handle by which the device may be picked up and handled for movement and preparatory to cleaning, the upper portion of the rear wall may be provided with a rearwardly projecting flange 16 which is crosswise of the back and substantially horizontal when the device is in position for use as an ash tray. When set up vertically this flange bears on the supporting surface, as shown in FIG. 5, and thus provides a broad base that militate against accidental tilting or upsetting.

And a stout rib 18 may be molded in the rear portion or sump of the lower tray portion having an upper surface co-planar with the edge of the flange surrounding the lower tray portion. This rib serves as a guide and abutment for positioning cards and letters in a neat vertical position when the device is set up on end as a card and letter holder, as shown in FIG. 5.

The purpose of the present disclosure is to depict and describe the functional principles of the invention, in support of the appended claims, and it is to be understood therefore that the design and ornamental features and characteristics of this particular embodiment may be varied and altered to achieve different esthetic and decorative effects, without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

Similarly, not all the details and features of the illustrated embodiment of the invention need be used conjointly or in the combinations shown, and additional details and features may be included. Thus, for example, in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5, I have shown the extended rear portion of the sump 5 closed by a cover strip 20 which is mounted in an undercut guideway 22 for sliding movement between the open position shown in FIG. 1 and the closed position shown in FIG. 2. This strip may be of clear or opaque flexible plastic, plain or ornamented. As shown, it is provided with upper surface indentations which facilitate its being pushed along the guideway from closed to open position by engagement of a finger or finger nail in one of the indentations. It will be understood that the strip is slid to open position when Water is to be added to the sump through the uncovered portion and thereafter the strip is restored to closed position to cover the protruding portion of the sump.

I claim:

1. An ash tray comprising a unitary body having a relatively long substantially rectangular lower shallow tray portion adapted to contain water, a shorter substantially rectangular upper tray portion adapted to serve as a smokers ash receptacle, said lower tray portion extending rearwardly beyond the plane of the rear end of the upper tray portion, and relatively narrow upright standards connecting the rear portions only of the sides of the two tray portions and vertically spacing the upper tray portion above the rear and intermediate portions only of the lower tray portion, leaving the forward portions of the lower tray portion uncovered and exposed, and being connected at their rear ends by a rear wall spaced forwardly from the rear end of the lower tray portion, the lower tray portion having its under surface beveled upwardly and forwardly from a transverse line in front of the center of gravity of the body, whereby a quantity of water in the lower tray portion will normally be confined in the rear thereof, beneath the upper tray portion and will be visible in the portion of the lower tray behind said rear wall and will flow forwardly to the uncovered portion of the lower tray when the body is tipped about said transverse line.

2. An ash tray as claimed in claim 1, including a handle projecting as a flange from the rear end of the body at substantially the level of the upper tray portion.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2 in which said handle terminates rearwardly in substantially the vertical plane of the rear end of the lower tray portion whereby the body may be stood on its rear end in an upright position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 146,780 5/47 Trautner.

582,687 5/ 97 Richardson. 1,511,217 10/24 Floercky 131-239 1,550,486 8/25 Balrner 13l239 X 2,063,717 12/36 Barbiere l3l236 2,294,618 9/42 Joseph l31-235 FOREIGN PATENTS 709,292 5 31 France.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. AN ASH TRAY COMPRISING A UNITARY BODY HAVING A RELATIVELY LONG SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR LOWER SHALLOW TRAY PORTION ADAPTED TO CONTAIN WATER, A SHORTER SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR UPPER TRAY PORTION ADAPTED TO SERVE AS A SMOKER''S ASH RECEPTACLE, SAID LOWER TRAY PORTION EXTENDING REARWARDLY BEYOIND THE PLANE OF THE REAR END OF THE UPPER TRAY PORTION, AND RELATIVELY NARROW UPRIGHT STANDARDS CONNECTING THE REAR PORTION ONLY OF THE SIDES OF THE TWO TRAY PORTIONS AND VERTICALLY SPACING THE UPPER TRAY PORTION ABOVE THE REAR AND INTERMEDIATE PORTION ONLY OF THE LOWER TRAY PORTION, LEAVING THE FORWARD PORTIONS OF THE LOWER TRAY PORTION UNCOVERED AND EXPOSED, AND BEING CONNECTED AT THEIR REAR ENDS BY A REAR WALL SPACED FORWARDLY FROM THE REAR END OF THE LOWER TRAY PORTIN, THE LOWER TRAY PORTION HAVING ITS UNDER SURFACE BEVELED UPWARDLY AND FORWARDLY FROM A TRANSVERSE LINE IN FRONT OF THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE BODY, WHEREBY A QUANTITY OF WATER IN THE LOWER TRAY PORTION WILL NORMALLY BE CONFINED IN THE REAR THEREOF, BENEATH THE UPPER TRAY PORTION AND WILL BE VISIBLE IN THE PORTION OF THE LOWER TRAY BEHIND SAID REAR WALL AND WILL FLOW FORWARDLY TO THE UNCOVERED PORTION OF THE LOWER TRAY WHEN THE BODY IS TIPPED ABOUT SAID TRANSVERSE LINE. 